The dances that Fairdale Elementary School students learned in gym class were a trick, fifth-grader Donovan Moore said.

They learn dances from other countries every year as part of their curriculum, but unbeknown to them, a few dozen students were selected to perform at the school's World Festival based on how well they danced in class.

"I could see why, because I'm the only one that can do this," Donovan, 11, said as he shimmied in a chair.

The performances were part of Fairdale's second World Festival, which introduces students, parents and community members to food, art, music and traditions from various countries.

The school had its first festival last year and was surprised when hundreds more people showed up than anticipated, said Alex Hernandez, an English as a second language instructor and organizer of the festival.

Fairdale is home to the school district's international/cultural studies and language magnet program as well as the largest number of students in an English as a second language program, with students and staff from more than 40 countries, said Hernandez, a native of Cuba.

The school's cultural richness led to an annual culture night event, but Hernandez said few people knew about it or attended.

"So we just put some steroids on it, and it kind of took off," Hernandez said.

At this year's festival, posters displaying facts about various countries lined hallways, and a buffet of food from around the world welcomed guests into the cafeteria.

Donovan pointed to his poster on the Bahamas, which displayed facts about the country and famous people who lived there. Fifth-grader Milana "Mimi" Carter, 11, was amazed by the population in Canada, which she studied for her poster.

"I thought it was about 2,000, but it's more," Mimi said, acknowledging that the number is more around 32 million.

Mimi, from Russia, is a student in the school's English as a second language program along with about 120 other kids. She moved to Louisville with her family four years ago and couldn't speak a word of English. Now, she speaks it almost fluently.

Not knowing English is common for students who enter the program, Hernandez said, and the school relies on classmates and community members to communicate with some students who don't speak a language familiar to instructors. For instance, a fifth-grader from Somalia is translating for three siblings who recently moved here from a Somali refugee camp, Hernandez said.

Students in the program still take normal classes but receive tutoring and separate lessons from English as a second language instructors.

"We don't want to isolate them, but we also don't want them to feel alone, so we try to strike a balance between that," Hernandez said.

Students outside the program also don't lack lessons about other countries. As a cultural studies magnet school, Fairdale introduces cultural aspects to each core curriculum class, Hernandez said.

Donovan said he likes getting to learn words in other languages from his classmates and enjoyed performing at the festival.

"I thought it was cool because I honestly break dance a lot, and I thought it was cool that I could learn a new one," he said.

Reporter Bailey Loosemore can be reached at (502) 582-4646. Follow her on Twitter at @bloosemore.